Untended Flame
by straydog11
Summary: When on his way to propose to Riza, Mustang finds himself in his worst nightmare


A Man's Duty

Roy Mustang sat at his desk; the moustache still felt odd on his face but something about just seemed right. Lately the papers had been mounting and it was all he could do to keep his eyes open and with his face always in his work he began to realize a few things. He couldn't get Riza off his mind.

He mumbled as he read the reports," Forces in the north report an increase in enemy activities, marry me…MANY reports claim that they are receiving vast amounts of intelligence from an inside her…damn it…INSIDER.". He stopped and rubbed his moustache, it gave him a sense of comfort, renewed vigor and reminded him of his duty. He couldn't continue this way, naturally his work would come first. Otherwise the woman for whom he would give it all away would probably shoot him… she would definitely shoot him.

He looked down at his desk drawer, the one he kept locked. It was time, the country deserved a man who had only them in mind and until he could hold Riza in his arms he could never be that man. With a bounding in his chest he unlocked the drawer and took out the ring, it had been in there for years now, just waiting for the day when his ambitions had burned low and there was only the part of him left that she deserved; the part of him that would always love her. Fear and joy took their grip upon his heart as he stood, and as he marched out the door he flicked his finger at the stack of papers on his desk. They exploded in an instant sending charred paper dancing around the office in a ballet of ash.

When Riza wasn't by his side he heard that she usually haunted the recruitment office, looking for new blood as she always said. He walked with new purpose, new life, this is what he had wanted for so long. As he stood before the iron doors of the recruitment office he took a deep breath, this was it. His hands clasped the handle and in that instant they began to sizzle. His mouth dropped in pain and shock just before the doors blew open unleashing a volcanic blast of flame that sent him flying down the hall.

As he sat up from the floor, his moustache burning at both ends he heard explosions and screams from the recruitment office. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" he roared as he smothered the spreading flames on his face. A man wreathed in flame then flies through the open doorway, Mustang narrowly escaped the screaming projectile by throwing himself down on the floor once again. The flaming man hit the floor and came to a stop, the flames around his body blown out. Mustang made his way to the strangers' in a hurried crawl, "Tell me what is happening here".

The man turned horror stricken eyes, "It's…a madhouse".

Mustang marched into the office, a large rounded stone room with viewing balconies along the sides. His ignition glove ready to spark, the colonel gritted his teeth, ready for a fight. What he saw however, was a nightmare, his nightmare. The entire place was filled with alchemists using flame alchemy, in fact it appeared as if they were battling each other. The center of the room was alight in a ring of fire while two fit young men with their clothes in tatters battled with fiery weapons within. One man fought off the flame attacks of colleagues with a shield, another man was performing aerial gymnastics keeping himself aloft with well timed explosions and a third was sending devastatingly well formed giant flaming hearts across the large room. Mustangs' arm fell limp to his side and he collapsed back onto the floor.

"I thought you had work, sir", came a familiar voice from behind him.

Mustang turned in pitiful confusion, "Lieutenant, how did this happen?". Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye stared down at him with nearly unreadable eyes. Mustang continued on, unabated, he knew his answer, "How do they all know flame alchemy? Have…have they all seen the research on your back?"

Riza looked away, just for a moment and then resumed eye contact, "I tried to wait for you, sir. But I couldn't wait any longer so I moved on, and on, and on, and on…", as she continued Colonel Mustang imagined building a pyre around himself. "I had thought that you burned it off completely, or at least enough that it couldn't be deciphered. Though apparently I was wrong, although it seems that for the most part very few of them have been able to control it. Some of them, however, it seems are more effective than you". Mustang couldn't move, from his pocket the ring fell silently to the floor as flames shook the room and engulfed them all.

With a start he awoke on his desk, papers covered his head and Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye stood before him at attention. He cried out in shock and fell backwards out of his chair. "DON'T EVER GO TO THE RECRUITMENT OFFICE WITHOUT MY LEAVE, UNDERSTOOD?". Riza's eyes went big, it made his heart stop when that happened; she had such beautiful eyes.

"Colonel?", she said, "You should probably rest, sir. You might have nightmares".

He let out a small laugh, "Yeah, you're right about that. I'll take your advice and lay down for a few hours".

"Thank you, sir", Riza turned to leave. As she reached the door the Colonel laid a hand on her shoulder. She gasped.

Mustang gently turned her around, "On your back, no one will ever see it, right?"

For a moment she blushed, took his hand in hers and held it, "Never, no one but you, Roy". Then she turned and closed the door behind you. As her door still lingered on the handle she finished, "I can only love you".


End file.
